Of Specks and Logs

“Why do you try to take out the speck that is in your brother or sister’s eye, when you have a log in your own?” (Mt. 7:4 )
While in Cape Town Clark and I had the opportunity to meet and talk with some white South Africans. It became clear to us that there is a wide spectrum of interpretation of the Apartheid years and those since. Their opinion of the Apartheid period is that is was a bad thing but that it was falling apart even before it was ended officially. They believed it was ended non violently and told us of the lack of information that white South Africans were given of the conditions and happenings in the townships. At times the conversation was tense and could have gone in a negative direction. We were left dumbfounded by the lack of concern or collective accountability for the obscenity of Apartheid. We were similarly struck by the complacency around the horrendous living conditions in current townships.
In later reflections, I had to swallow my indignation as I thought of the above biblical quote. I suspect Native Americans have their own reflection of the topic of Apartheid still in effect. Our history of slavery, Jim Crow, and active racism in society today is a shame we’ve made our peace with. Our general complacency that greets the horrendous living conditions of projects and unequal education in the US makes criticism of other countries border on hypocrisy.
Even moral outrage must be conducted in humility. Critique of another without self examination can be self righteous and empty. Jesus told them , “Take out the log that is in your own eye before you can take out the speck that is in your brother or sister’s eye.”